Troubleshooting poor WiFi connections can be a pain, as they typically will work for long periods of time and quit when you're in the middle of an important task.
Lose WiFi Connection
Losing a WiFi connection is frustrating. Slowdowns, disconnects and overall problems with wireless should be a thing of the past, but as there are more and more WiFi devices, cell phones, bluetooth and wireless telephones in homes, you can imagine the amount of invisible layer of traffic bouncing around above your head. By making minor modifications to your wireless setup, you can help keep your router in communication with your WiFi devices and improve general speed and reliability. This article will discuss some common tactics used to setup a home network invironment where multiple signals are found.
Centralize Your Router
Your router is the mothership so you want to keep the router somewhere in the home where it can hit all corners of the house. Having the router in the corner of the basement is a sure way to get a weak signal to an upstairs room in the house. If you find you need to keep the router in a remote location, consider buying a WiFi access point and place it closer to your remote locations in the house. This will help boost the signal and expand the reach of your wireless.
Change the Channel on the router
You router can work on multiple frequencies, but unfortunately, that frequency might be competing with the same channel used by home wireless phones or microwaves. By changing the channel of the router, you improve the chance your laptop or PC can maintain a connection. Note: when you change the channel on the router, you may also need to go into your wifi adapter and specify the new channel there, as well.
Set your router priority to numero uno.
Wireless Zero Configuration in Windows makes it really easy for wireless users to connect to routers--any routers. So if you have competing routers in the neighborhood, you should right-click the wireless icon in the lower right of your screen, choose properties, then set the priority of your connection to your home router. You might be surprised to find it's not already number one.
When all else fails
If none of the above prevents you from losing your your wifi connection, you can try updating the drivers on your wireless card and the firmware of your router. Your connection woes might be a bug that has been patched. Or you can try scanning for spyware. We have a lot of free spyware software located in our downloads area.
If you have any other questions about losing your wifi connection, be sure to visit our computer forums today!
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